Councillor Paul Ainslie now admits he was caught in a Toronto Police RIDE program and given a three-day license suspension but he vehemently denied it a week ago when the Sun asked him about it.

Ainslie told reporters at City Hall Thursday he was stopped in a RIDE program on Kingston Rd. on the evening of May 3. But when confronted about the RIDE stop by the Toronto Sun on May 16, Ainslie said the incident never happened.

“News to me,” Ainslie said when asked about being stopped in a RIDE program on Kingston Rd.

“Not true,” Ainslie said outside his City Hall office, when asked if a story about him being stopped and given a three-day license suspension was untrue.

Asked a second time, to confirm he was saying the story was not true, Ainslie repeated his claim.

“Nope, no. I’d like to know who is,” he said.

The Sun asked Ainslie again: you weren’t on Kingston Road and you weren’t stopped in a RIDE program? You weren’t stopped in a ride program? Your car wasn’t towed? You didn’t get a three-day suspension?

“Nope,” he replied to all those questions.

The Ward 43, Scarborough East councillor repeatedly asked the Sun where the newspaper had heard about the information.

“I just want to know so I can go punch them,” he said.

“That’s really low.”

Ainslie did not respond to several interview requests from the Sun Thursday asking him about his denial.

The member of Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee issued a one-page “Clarification of Events” Thursday morning.

“During the evening of May 3rd on my way home I drove up to a RIDE spot-check,” Ainslie stated. “I was certain I had let enough time elapse between my last alcoholic beverage and when it was appropriate for me to drive. I was wrong.”

Ainslie said he was asked by police at the stop if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages that night, he said he “answered truthfully” and said he had drank earlier that evening.

The councillor went on to say he complied with the cop when he was asked to submit to a breathalyzer test.

“To my shock the test registered a ‘warning level,’” he stated. “I was instructed to surrender my Driver’s License for three days, as is required under the Highway Traffic Act when a driver registers a warning. There were no criminal charges filed against me and no criminal charges will be brought.”

Ainslie stressed he has never been charged with a criminal offence or received a warning under the Highway Traffic Act.

“This incident serves as a stark reminder to me of the dangers of consuming alcohol prior to driving,” he stated. “I can assure my family, my constituents and the citizens of the City of Toronto this incident will never be repeated as I have now been reminded of a lesson which was taught to me long ago; drinking and driving don’t mix.”

After delivering his statement, Ainslie stressed he doesn’t have a “drinking problem.”

“The reason I’m coming forward now I considered this matter closed,” he told reporters.

“Last night there was allegations on Twitter that are not factually true I had been charged with a DUI ... which is far from the truth.”

Last year, Ainslie said he wouldn’t have been one of the councillors standing beside Councillor Ana Bailao after she was charged with impaired driving.

“It’s unfortunate that Councillor Bailao was charged with DUI ... but the fact is she was charged with DUI and it is before the courts,” Ainslie said back in October.

Ainslie wasn’t among several councillors from across city council’s political spectrum who joined Bailao for her press conference to address the charges.

“I wasn’t prepared to go to a press conference and stand behind her,” he said. “Had I been invited, I wouldn’t have gone.”

At that time, Ainslie stressed impaired driving was a “serious offence.”

Here’s an edited transcript of the Sun’s interview with Councillor Paul Ainslie on May 16 about his RIDE stop at the start of the month that he now admits led to a three-day license suspension:

Part 1 over the phone:

Sun - Were you stopped in a RIDE program on Kingston Rd.?

Ainslie - “News to me.”

Sun - So this is not true?

Ainslie - “Not true.”

Part 2 in person in front of his city council office:

Sun - “You’re saying it is not true?”

Ainslie - “Nope, no. I’d like to know who is.”

Sun - You weren’t on Kingston Road and you weren’t stopped in a RIDE program?

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Councillor Paul Ainslie caught in RIDE program

Councillor Paul Ainslie says he was caught in a Toronto Police RIDE program and given a three-day licence suspension.

Ainslie told reporters at City Hall Thursday he was stopped on Kingston Rd. on the night of May 3.

The member of Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee issued a one-page “Clarification of Events” Thursday morning.

“During the evening of May 3rd on my way home I drove up to a RIDE spot check,” Ainslie stated. “I was certain I had let enough time elapse between my last alcoholic beverage and when it was appropriate for me to drive. I was wrong.”

Ainslie said he was asked by police at the stop if he had consumed any alcoholic beverages that night, he said he “answered truthfully” and said he had drank earlier that evening.

The councillor went on to say he complied with the cop when he was asked to submit to a breathalyzer test.